It’s easy to get discouraged by the headlines, but that doesn’t mean God is not accomplishing His purposes.  In their book , John Stonestreet and Warren Cole Smith provide tangible evidence of justice, love, mercy, and forgiveness in our communities as evidence of God at work in His world—and how we can be a part of His plans.  It’s encouragement amidst the chaos with John Stonestreet – on Connecting Faith.

John explains what was in his heart that led him to pen this book. He says it’s a book for believers – and a call to remember that we ought to be living with tremendous hope, and not in despair. Inside, you’ll find stories of everyday people changing the world. Great goods like justice and love are displayed in these tales.

As people of faith, we have convictions about the worth of creativity and responsibility. How should those beliefs influence the way we approach our attempts to fight society’s ills?

John believes that our outreach to combat poverty needs to be based on the concept of “a hand up”, not simply “a handout”. Poverty isn’t always simply a financial status, it can also feature moral and relational components.

“Both the head and the heart need to be involved when facing these issues.”

The individualized reasons for poverty have to be personally known, and the government simply isn’t personal. So what does this mean for us as the faith community?

How can these truths apply in the way we deal with the simmering debates on same sex marriage and the abortion issue? The church has a responsibility show grace and care regarding controversial issues, yet we also need to be willing to address them.

It’s a confusing world, but we ought to remember that Christianity is the source of the love and the real hope that we have. As people of faith, we need to embody these truths.

Highlight: An attitude of hope

Being a part of God’s perfect plan